He was just about to speak when Ariana posed her inquiry, “Do you possess the audacity to abduct someone like this? Aren't you fearful of facing the full might of the law?"

"The law?" One of the traffickers scoffed, "If we were afraid of the police, we wouldn't be in this line of work."

Holden's smile, which had just begun to form, froze in place.

His brow furrowed as he listened intently to the commotion on the other end of the line.

The unfamiliar male voice seemed distant from Ariana, and her own voice carried an angry, tense tone.

The sound of Melon crying added to the distressing atmosphere.

Then, the unfamiliar male voice on the other end burst into hearty laughter.

"You think you can escape just because you've arrived here?

This man can be sold for scams, and the woman can be sold for prostitution."

“Why sell her right away when we can have some fun first?" Another man chimed in, his voice dripping with depravity.

Remy, his eyes narrowed with vigilance, cursed vehemently.

"You damn animals, don't even think about it."

Holden sensed that something was terribly wrong.

He swiftly muted his end of the call, his anxiety growing as he strained to eavesdrop on the developments.

Ariana's gaze flickered toward her phone.

While she couldn't see the person who had answered, she knew the call had been picked up.

She maintained her composure and locked eyes with the traffickers, beginning, "How much money do you want? We can negotiate."

The traffickers sneered in response.

“How can we be sure that you won't double-cross us after getting the money? We don't do business with strangers."

"We can discuss other terms," Ariana calmly replied.